National Treasure: Treasure of Blood
by Empress Akitla
Summary: Another treasure hunt sound like the perfect cure for everyone's cabin fever. But there's something terribly wrong with this treasure. Too many lives have been lost trying to find it. Secrets and legends lay around the corner for Ben and his friends.
1. Lost Forever

Well...I got bored and was watching National Treasure. Hopefully this story will actually go somewhere.

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1850

Lightning arched across the gray-black sky, thunder following quickly. The river was flowing swiftly, taking branches and dead logs with it. A small island in the middle of the river was flooded up to the small trees that were on its highest point. Mud fell away from the steep sides of the riverbank, helping to turn the usually crystal clear water to a deep red-brown. Rain came down in sheets, making clacking noises as it hit the water and shore.

A huge evergreen fell into the river as a stray bolt of lightning snapped it at its base. Its branches pulled other shrubs along the riverbank in with it.

Two men ran alongside the river, heading upstream to get back to their camp. What they'd forgotten was that they had crossed the river earlier where it was shallow. Rapids replaced the shallows now.

"How do we get back?" The younger man shouted.

"I don't know," the older, bearded one answered.

"Maybe we should keep running upstream to try and find a shallower place to cross." The younger one said.

"It's a flash flood, there're no shallow spots left," the older man turned to the river to see the huge evergreen barreling towards them. "James, run!"

The young man turned. Upon seeing the tree he tried to jump out of its branches' reaches. The heavy branches collided with the light weight man, sweeping him off his feet and pulling him into the flooded river.

"James!" The older man cried and dropped to his knees. "My son…" Suddenly he turned his head to the sky. "This treasure is cursed! It has caused too many deaths!"

A scream broke from the trees behind him. He turned, recognizing the slinking form of a mountain lion. He drew a small dagger and stood to face the beast.

"Let the Treasure of Blood be lost forever!" Was Charles Gate's final cry.

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Please R&R and let me know what you think so far! :)


	2. Lazy Day

Yeah! Chapter two! Yeah...is short. I had a brain fart. Oh and people who know their history, please offer me correction but don't go psycho on me please. :)

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Present Day

Bright sun seeped through the windows of the huge mansion. It was quiet inside, save for Riley whom was growling at a video game on his computer.

"Aw come on!" the techie whined. _How come I always get stuck on this level? _Shaking his head, he continued to fight off the multitude of small dragons invading his castle.

Ben looked up from his Civil War book, glancing at his best friend then over to Abigail, his wife.

"What're you doing?" He asked, pulling his glasses off his nose and walking over to her.

Abigail smiled and looked up. "There's a rabbit out in the yard."

Leaning forward, Ben looked out the window. On their front lawn there was indeed a small brown bunny nibbling at the grass.

Abigail looked at the rabbit. _It's so cute. I wonder what Ben would think… _She looked up at her husband, giving him a winning smile.

_Uh oh…_ That thought rushed through Ben's head when he saw the smile the blonde was giving him.

"Ben, what would you think of having a pet?" Abigail asked, grabbing his arm and pulling him to sit on the window ledge with her.

"A fish is fine, but we've been over this. A puppy could be trouble," he motioned to the countless pieces of antique furniture that could be chewed. "And a kitten wouldn't be much better. I'd like it if our Boston Tea Tables didn't have teeth and claw marks on their legs."

"What if we got a full grown dog?" Abigail crossed her arms.

"Dogs are much better alarm systems!" Riley chirped in.

"Abigail, you're starting to act like a child, and Riley, you're not helping," Ben replied as he stood up.

"What do you have against pets?" Abigail cocked an eyebrow.

"Nothing," Ben shrugged. "I'd rather just keep all the antiques safe."

As the treasure hunter walked up stairs, Abigail turned to Riley. She stood and walked over to him, sitting beside him on the couch. Dragons and a small person, whom she assumed was Riley, fought on his computer screen.

"What's his deal with pets?" She asked. _Maybe he's allergic and just didn't tell me. _Abigail shook her head to that.

"What are you shaking at?" Riley asked, pausing his game for the time being.

"Huh? Oh…I was just thinking," Abigail replied quietly. "So, is there any back story?"

"When he was ten his parents got a puppy and it chewed everything," Riley snickered. "Ben told me it ate his fifty page report on Lewis and Clark."

"Okay, I _guess _that makes sense," Abigail sighed. "But what about a cat?"

"Dunno any back story on that one," Riley shrugged and returned to his game. "I just know he always liked fish because 'they can't destroy reports or eat shoes'."

Ben sat down in his office that night, still browsing through his Civil War book. A small desk lamp lit the dim room. Light from a crescent moon fell through the window, leaving white light on the floor. The quiet hum of the air conditioner whispered through the vent in the ceiling, lightly ruffling papers sitting on the desk.

The phone rang abruptly, making the treasure hunter jump. He reached for his cell phone. An unknown number showed on its screen. Only a few people had his personal phone number and it showed their names when they called.

"Hello?" Ben asked as he flipped his phone open.

"Benjamin Gates?" a female asked.

"Yes. Who is this?" He furrowed his brows.

"Cajun Adhara," she answered. "I'm sorry if I woke you. I forgot the time change between there and here."

"I was already awake," Ben leaned on the table. "Why did you call? How'd you get my private number?"

"I have sources," the voice answered.

_Oh boy does that sound familiar…_ Ben thought and ran his fingers through his hair.

"I've called you, because I believe that you might be interested in a treasure that's much unknown to most," Cajun replied.

"You have no idea how many calls I get that all say they have some type of fantastic treasure map and want me to solve the riddles, do you?" Ben inquired.

"I have a fair guess," Cajun's voice started to sound more silky and ghostly. "But this treasure is far greater than anything else. The few who know about it are terrified to look for it. The last person that was recorded to look for it was Charles Gates. Sound familiar?"

Ben froze. That was his great, great grandfather. He'd known that he was a treasure hunter, but figured it was for the Templar Treasure, not this treasure.

"What's it called?" Ben's voice was barely audible.

"The Treasure of Blood." Cajun answered.

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Please remember to R&R! :)


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